Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and
House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Spouse Amendment Act.

CHATTELS REAL ACT

RSN1990 cC-11
as amended

2.Subsection 4(1) of the Chattels Real Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Disposition of
chattels real

4.(1) Two
persons who are spouses of one another shall, for all purposes of acquisition
of an interest in a chattel real, under a disposition made or coming into
operation after May 5, 1972, be treated as 2 persons.

CITY OF CORNER BROOK ACT

RSN1990 cC-15
as amended

3.Subsection 152(2) of the City of Corner Brook Act is repealed and the following substituted:

(2)Where a person who has a spouse pays real
property tax both the person and his or her spouse are exempt from the poll tax
imposed by the city.

CITY OF MOUNT PEARL ACT

RSN1990 cC-16
as amended

4.Subsection 151(2) of the City of Mount Pearl Act is repealed and the following substituted:

(2)Where a person who has a spouse pays real
property tax both the person and his or her spouse are exempt from the poll tax
imposed by the city.

EVIDENCE ACT

RSN1990 cE-16
as amended

5.(1) Subsection 2(1) of the Evidence Act is amended by deleting the
words "husbands and wives" and substituting the word
"spouses".

(2)Subsection 3(1) of the Act is amended by
deleting the words "husband or wife" and substituting the word
"spouse".

(3)Paragraph 4(a) of the Act is amended by deleting
the words "wife or husband" and substituting the word
"spouse".

(4)Paragraph 4(c) of the Act is amended by deleting
the words "husband or wife" and substituting the word
"spouse".

(5)Section 6 of the Act is repealed and the
following substituted:

Spouses not compellable

6.A
person is not compellable to disclose a communication made to him or her by his
or her spouse during the marriage.

FAMILY HOMES EXPROPRIATION ACT

RSNL1990 cF-1

6.Item 3(c) of the Schedule to the Family Homes Expropriation Act is
repealed and the following substituted:

(c)2 persons, with or without children,
unmarried, living together as spouses, notwithstanding there is no tie in blood
or in law;

FAMILY LAW ACT

RSNL1990 cF-2
as amended

7.(1) Paragraph 2(1)(e) of the Family Law Act is amended by deleting
the words "a man and woman" and substituting the number and word
"2 persons".

(2)Section 29 of the Act is repealed and the
following substituted:

Business assets

29.Where
one spouse has contributed work, money or money's worth in respect of the
acquisition, management, maintenance, operation or improvement of a business
asset of the other spouse, the contributing spouse may apply to the court and
the court shall by order

(a)direct the other spouse to pay an amount that
the court orders to compensate the contributing spouse; or

(b)award a share of the interest of the other
spouse in the business asset to the contributing spouse in accordance with the
contribution,

and the court shall determine and assess
the contribution without regard to their spousal relationship or the fact that
the acts constituting the contribution are those of a reasonable spouse in the
circumstances.

(3)Subsection 31(1) of the Act is amended by
deleting the words "husband and wife" and substituting the word
"spouses".

(4)Section 62 of the Act is amended by deleting
the words "A man and a woman" and substituting the words "Two persons".

(5)Subsection 69(1) of the Act is amended by
deleting the words "a man and a woman" and substituting the number
and word "2 persons".

FATAL ACCIDENTS ACT

RSNL1990 cF-6
as amended

8.Section 4 of the Fatal Accidents Act is repealed and the following substituted:

By whom action
brought

4.An
action under this Act is for the benefit of the spouse, partner, parent and
child of the person whose death is caused, and is brought by and in the name of
the executor or administrator of the person deceased.

JURY ACT, 1991

SNL1991 c16
as amended

9.Subsection 10(2)(a) of the Jury Act, 1991 is repealed and the following substituted:

(a)"family unit" includes 2 persons who
are spouses of one another and a relative of one of the spouses residing in the
same dwelling; and

LEGAL AID REGULATIONS

CNLR 1010/96
as amended

10.Paragraph 1(h) of Schedule E of the Legal Aid Regulations is repealed and
the following substituted:

(h)"spouse" means an adult living with
the applicant as a spouse, regardless of legal marital status.

RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT, 1986

11.(1) Rule 56.02(a) of the Rules of the Supreme Court, 1986 is
repealed and the following substituted:

(a)spouse;

(2)Rule 56.07(b) of the rules is repealed and the
following substituted:

(b)that neither witness to the will is a
beneficiary or the spouse of a beneficiary named in the will or, if so, that a
named beneficiary or the spouse of a named beneficiary is such a witness; and